I have the course as Arroya Arenas-San Cristobel-Arroya Arenas but not being very well up on my Cuban geography that might mean the same thing as Havana-San Cristobel-Havana. I also have Ernesto Carricaburo as the winner in a 60hp Mercédès but agree on Joe Tracy's 40hp Renault.And, before you ask, I have no other information on the race

Gilbert Hatry's book "Renault et la Compétition - l'époque héroïque" (Ed. Lafourcade, 1979) aims at covering all of the races Renault cars competed in between 1899 and 1908. This nice book covers in detail the great races of the era and gives some tables at the end with all the results of Renault cars in competition for this same period. Anyway you made me realise it has apparently a few gaps since the only mention to a Cuban race is for the "Meeting de Cuba" held on February 12th, 1906 in which good old Bernin finished second. Not sure this is of any help for you...

The speed with which detailed information was telegraphed around the world even in 1905 is impressive even today...

On February 15, 1905, the Havana-San Christobal race was billed to take place over 200kms - the race being part of a speed week 'like that at Ormond Beach, Daytona, Florida, including power boat races offshore'.

'La France Automobile' February 18, 1905 page 102 -

The 100 miles (sic - a change of '200kms' in the prior publicity) race in Cuba was a most dynamic success and attracted not only a great number of the inhabitants of the island but also as many Americans. The starters were:

Originally posted by quintin cloud The Cuban GP, Doug notes a race distance of 100 miles, how long was the track and/or number of laps was the race run over ?

Quintin, this is the same race Andrzej mentioned at the top of the thread. The course was from Arroya Arenas (possibly a suurb of Havana) to San Cristobel and back to Arroya Arenas, presumably on public roads. My guess is the results posted by Andrzej and Doug are all you'll get ;)

First four places as posted above are indeed the only reference I have found, but then I haven't looked at any other contemporary publications. It was a public road event, and I believe it was purely point-to-point - or at least 'out' to San Cristobal (or however one should spell that name) and then 'back' to the original starting point on the outskirts - I presume - of Havana. No question of 'laps'.

Gerald Rose in "A Record of Motor Racing" mentions a race in Cuba on Feb 12, 1906, and apart from Frank's post and Hans' GP winners list I don't think I ever read about that one anywhere else. Here's what I can glean from Rose:

Anyone with more info? How many laps? What circuit? What distance? Winner's time? Other finishers/starters? What type of FIATs, 75 or 110 HP?

About Tracy's Renault in 1905, I gather this is the same car that Bernin used in 1906, i.e a 60 HP. I don't know of any 40 HP Renault at the time. The 60 HP was owned by an American (Gould-Brokaw) and did not yet have the underslung frame of the 1905 cars. The 40 HP De Dietrich would then probably be a 45CV, the 1903 Madrid type.

I've just found some infos about the 1906 Cuba race in "La Vie Automobile", 1906.

After the speed Ormond Beach meeting in Floride (January, 22 to 28), a motosport meeting was organised in Cuba on february, 12th, 1906. There were only 4 starters : Demogeot (Darracq), Bernin (Renault), Lancia and Cedrino (F.I.A.T).

After this race, there were also a match between 3 wealthy Cuban drivers:
Luis Marx (Mercedes)
Julio Rabel (Bayard-Clément)
Juan Aguiles (Mors).

They started just after the international race and had to cover 175 km. The stake was a kitty of 15,000 $. And the results was:
1- Rabel, 175 km, 2 h 04m 52s
2- Aguiles, 2 h 05m 31s
3- Marx, 2h 14m 02s.

On Saturday 17th, February, Cedrino, Lancia and Demogeot went on board of the St-Paul to come back in Europa, while Bernin returned to New York.

'La France Automobile' January 6, 1905 page 5 first reported that the 1,417 kilometre Delhi-Bombay event began from Delhi on December 26, staging to Agra, then December 27 Agra to Gwalior etc as Marc has found... 38 entries took the start to compete for trophies presented by the rajahs of the various cities, towns and regions encountered. Victory fell to a 24hp Dietrich driven by a M. Sorel, who won the Gatewar of Baroda Cup presented for the greatest number of points scored in each of the different classes - no clue as to the scoring system applied...

Fine performances were claimed for De Dion-Bouton cars which won the Maharajah of Mysore's trophy for the machine finishing in the best condition - plus the Maharajah of Kapurthala Cup for the car which had achieved the most 'regular' performance in each of the eight stages.

A Darracq was victiorious in the 'concours d'endurance' - while a Speedwell won the Maharajah of Gwalior Cup for best fuel economy.

Some more prizes from the Times of January 3rd 1905: Mr Jeremiah Lyons's cup for the most reliable car costing under £500 to a Darracq; the Times of India consolation prize to a Wolseley. Surprisingly the Nawab of Rampur's trophy "for the absence of noise and vibration and ease in manipulation" was awarded to a Fiat car and not to one of Ray's beautiful dancing girls.

Interesting that the 1905 AAA National Championship was never mentioned in this thread. As several others have done before me -- possibly far better than my very modest efforts, I have managed to nose around and find considerable information on this topic. Another gap in our knowledge slowly being filled in....

Some years ago, John Printz made mention of a possible national championship conducted by the AAA Racing Board, but I am not sure that many were given the details of this championship by Printz. I know that I was really unaware of the details unfairly fairly recently.

Elsewhere in the world, Allan E Brown made mention of this championship and had Mark Dill provide him with some information on it. Here is what Dill gave Brown as the schedule:

29 September, Poughkeepsie, Duchess County Fair -- New York Times 30 September 1905; Boston Globe 30 September 1905

I have been unable to find any articles on Grand Rapids event, nor the possible Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Empire City (30 Sept.) events that would tie them to the AAA national championship. Doesn't mean that they didn't happen -- the direction I am currently leaning in, I just haven't been to find information to confirm that they took place.

Unfortunately, I don't have access to any of the journals of the day, such as The Automobile, something which might help a great bit, especially since Dill mentions that there was coverage of the events in several of the journals.

This championship has been the topic of at least two discussions elsewhere and has generated a good bit of information, but -- as usual, alas! -- not much interest. I have little hope that the same will not happen here.

I have to tip my hat to John Printz, Allan Brown, Mark Dill, Brian Pratt, Phil Harms, and several others for taking the time to dredge this stuff up. I managed to pore through the various newspaper files I had access to and found more information that I ever hoped for on this. It took some digging and there was a lot of frustration, but the information was there, right under our noses.

The only place which seems to have addressed this recently is champcarstats.com which lays out one view of the championship and the appropriate tables.

I simply have not had the time to pull all the race reports together and do a "season review" for 1905, but it was quite a season and one that helps put several forces in American racing into both context and a better perspective. As always, you can't understand 1905 without looking at 1904 and 1906, for starters.....

This topic of the 1905 AAA National Championship brings to mind this old posting on Revisionism and the recent discussions on the 1920 AAA National Chamionship. I hope that we may have put to rest the notion that there were actually "two" champions in 1920 -- the burden of proof is now on those supporting the Milton championship. I think they have a serious challenge since the evidence seems to clearly point in the direction of Gaston Chevrolet.

It makes me sad to comment that I am unaware of any journal or commentator noting the centennial of the first AAA national championship. Nor was there exactly a groundswell of coverage for the W.K. Vanderbilt Jr. Cup last year.

Well, Barney Oldfield being the first AAA National Champion is as ironic a thing as I can imagine.... little wonder that the AAA Racing Board and later the Contest Board ever said much about it!

However the Empire City and Poughkeepsie results are not listed. I can't find them either on the files I got from Phil Harms.

Do you have details of these races.

Gerrit,

I am working on something that I will post here as soon as I can. My major problem is that I am working without having any information from either The Automobile or Motor Age for the 1905 season. I think Horseless Age stopped covering motor racing after a big flap over the 1904 Vanderbilt Cup.

I will endeavor to provide -- in the old RVM style -- some idea of what I have and where it seems to fit into what others -- such as the listing that Phil provided to you -- have generated on this topic. Needless to say, it is a bit of a mess at the moment.

I will try to post it here as soon as I get the time to double-check some items and sort a few things out.

If Rear View Mirror were still around, I might spin all this into an article, but since it isn't, here is the latest information that I have dredged up on the 1905 AAA national championship:

The American Automobile Association National Motor Car Championship for 1905

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Los Angeles Times, 14 May 1905, page III 3.“The American Automobile Association will hold its first national championship track meet at Morris Park, New York City, July 3 and 4, its special committee having completed final arrangements with the Morris Park Motor Racing Club, the president of which is Dave Hennen Morris, who is also the president of the Automobile Club of America.““Races will be provided for all classes of cars, and many of the contests will carry a championship title.”

The Automobile, 18 May 1905, page 629.

Boston Globe, 21 May 1905, page 10.“Announcement by the Automobile Association Racing Board Regarding 1905 Championship.New York, May 20. Robert Lee Morrell, chairman of the American automobile association racing board, announced today that the track motor car championship of 1905 will be decided on the national circuit by a point score. In order to become eligible for the championship series an entrant must obligate himself to compete at all circuit meets as long as the point score places him in first or second position in the championship table. The current dates include:June 10 – Morris Park, New York cityJune 16 and 17, Hartford, Conn. Hartford athletic clubJuly 3 and 4, Amateur athletic association meet, Morris park, New YorkJuly 24, Empire City track, New YorkSept. 4, Boston, Athletic clubSept. 9, Providence, Athletic clubSept. 23, Morris park, New YorkSept. 30, Empire City track, New York.”

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Morris ParkBronx, New York10 June 19054 laps of 1.39-mile track for 5.56 miles

Boston Globe, 4 June 1905, page 31.“The proposed 500-mile on the Morris Park track next Saturday has been abandoned. In the meet to be held there that day will be a circuit championship at five miles….”New York Times, 11 June 1905, page 12.“Three cars started in the five-mile championship, the first of the National circuit events of the season.”

Notes:Major C.J.S. Miller just acquired the Renault 90 owned by William Wallace and driven by Wallace in the 1904 Vanderbilt Cup and by Chevrolet at Morris Park on 20 May.Attendance: “About 3,000 persons saw the races…” (NYT, 11 June 1905, pg. 12)

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Charter Oak ParkHartford, Connecticut17 June 19055 laps of 1.0-mile track for 5.0 miles

Washington Post, 17 June 1905, page 8.Boston Globe, 18 June 1905, page 17.“An exciting exhibition was given by Oldfield later in the afternoon. He responded for the championship race, five miles, for the A.A.A. national championship trophy, and was given the race in a walkover, thus securing four points.”Washington Post, 18 June 1905, page 6.The AAA national championship. Won by Oldfield. Time by miles, 1;02, 2:01 2-5, 3:01 1-5, 4:01 2-5, 5:01 2-5.”

Notes:Attendance: 3,000“What promised to be the star racing event, a pursuit race between Barney Oldfield in his Peerless Green Demon and Louis Chevrolet in the mammoth F.I.A.T. racing machine proved a fizzle. Oldfield, at the tape, started on the pistil signal, but the Frenchman’s car remained at the half-mile pole as if anchored. The second speed gear was stripped in going to the post, and the car was out of commission for the afternoon.” (BG, 18 June 1905, pg. 17)

New York Times, 27 June 1905, page 6.“Louis Chevrolet carried off the honors of the day yesterday in the automobile races at the Empire City track, which had been postponed from Saturday. He won the third event in the series of National motor-car championships, and also triumphed over Barney Oldfield in the special two-thousand dollar match race arranged as the big feature of the meet.”“National Motor Car Championship.”

Notes:Attendance: “Nearly 2,000 persons gathered to see the big men whiz around the track.” (NYT, 27 June 1905, pg. 6)

Washington Post, 30 June 1905, page 9.“The closing day of the National Motor Championship races at Brunot’s Island track….”“In the ten-mile championship free-for-all, Oldfield led up to the two and one-half-mile turn, when the Green Dragon’s engine went bad, and before Oldfield could get going again Chevrolet was three-quarters of a mile in the lead, which he maintained to the finish.”

Chicago Tribune, 30 June 1905, page 10.“Kiser’s machine was so badly damaged yesterday he could not enter today.”

Notes:“In the 10-mile free-for-all with Oldfield and Chevrolet competing, the former led for four and a half miles, when one of his rear tires burst. Chevrolet then took the lead and made the 10 miles in 10 minutes flat.” (BG, 29 June 1905, pg. 8)Track owner: Gentleman’s Driving Association

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Morris ParkBronx, New York4 July 19051 lap of 1.39-mile track for 1.39 miles; originally scheduled for 4 laps of 1.39-mile track for 5.56 miles

Washington Post, 5 July 1905, page 9.“The first event was the National Circuit Championship, free for all, four laps, 5.56 miles. Webb Jay and Louis Chevrolet were the only starters, but at the last moment the latter’s engine broke down and Jay took the race by default.”

New York Times, 5 July 1905, page 8.“Owing to the cracking of a cylinder in Chevrolet’s car as he was to start in the National Circuit Championship, Jay won in a walkover, going once over the course.”

Atlanta Constitution, 9 August 1905, page 8.“After the accident had broken up the five mile event, Jay and Burman drove a five mile race instead, which Jay won in 5:21.”

Boston Globe, 9 August 1905, page 8.“Barney Oldfield had an almost miraculous escape from death today at Grosse Point track, when Dan Wurgis’ machine came into collision with Oldfield’s car in the three-quarter stretch, during the first mile of the five-mile open event.”“After the accident had broken up the five-mile open event, Jay and Burman drove a five-mile race in its stead, which Jay won in 5:12 2-5.”

Glenville Driving TrackCleveland, Ohio14 August 19055 laps of 1.0-mile track for 5.0 miles

Cleveland Automobile Club

Results1st, Charles “Charley” BurmanPeerless5 laps, 5 min 15.8 sec

2nd, Herbert LytlePope-Toledo5 laps, flagged

3rd, Webb JayWhite Steam Car Whistling BillyFlagged

4th, Dan WurgisReo BirdFlagged

Atlanta Constitution, 15 August 1905, page 9.“The five-mile national championship was won by Burman.”

Washington Post, 15 August 1905, page 9.“After three of the regular events and a special exhibition by Barney Oldfield had been completed this afternoon, the remainder of the race meeting of the Cleveland Automobile Club were declared off on account of rain.”“The five-mile national championship was won by Burman, Lytle and Jay having trouble with their cars, which caused Burman, who was third at the end of the third mile, to shoot ahead and win practically without opposition.”“Five miles – National championship: free-for-all; $150 trophy. Charles Burman, Cleveland, won; H.H. Lytle, Toledo, second. Time 5:15 4-5. Webb Jay, Cleveland, and Dan Wurgis, Detroit, also started.”

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Kenilworth ParkBuffalo, New York19 August 19055 laps of 1.0-mile track for 5.0 miles

Boston Globe, 3 September 1905, page 18.“W.S. Hilliard, the Boston driver who sent the Napier racing up Mt. Washington in record time is also entered.”“Of the five-mile events the one for the national championship should be very good. The race is insisted upon at all the meets by the A.A.A. so that when the season ends the cars may graded according to the points they have won. There are seven entries, all with good cars, and there will be some good maneuvering to win out.”

New York Times, 3 September 1905, page 10.New York Times, 3 September 1905, page 11.

Washington Post, 10 September 1905, page 4.“The best events of the day were the races for the national championship, for which points were given the winners for the final summary at the close of the year, and the contest for the silver trophy. Oldfield won the first without difficulty, taking his heat and the finals without being headed. In the final heat he led Cedriano by a quarter of a mile at the finish.”

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Narragansett ParkGranston, Rhode Island23 September 19055 laps of 1.0-mile track for 5.0 miles

Boston Globe, 24 September 1905, page 16.“The national championship race between Oldfield and Cedriano was easily the feature. Oldfield had the worst of the start, but overcame the Italian’s lead in the first mile, and won by nearly three-eighths of a mile.”

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Hudson River Driving ParkDutchess County Fair GroundsPoughkeepsie, New York29 September 19055 laps of 1.0-mile track for 5.0 miles

New York Times, 30 September 1905, page 10.“The closing day of the Dutchess County Fair brought together 20,000 people at the Hudson River Driving Park, who were intensely interested in the Grand Circuit automobile races, which were run off over a perfect track and under auspicious weather conditions.”

New York Times, 21 May 1905, page 11.“Motor Car ChampionshipWill Be Based on Points Won in National Circuit Race MeetsAn important decision regarding the motor car championship for 1905 has just been determined by the Racing Committee of the American Automobile Association. The championship will be decided on the point system, and the race upon which the points will be based will be the free-for-all contest. It is stipulated that this event must be not less than five miles nor more then ten miles in length. The winning car will receive four points, the second two points, and the third one point.These points for the championship will be awarded in the National circuit meet, as sanctioned by the American Automobile Association. Not all the meets will necessarily be in the National circuit, as several of the local track contests are not in the circuit. The circuit automobile racing dates, as at present, are:June 10 – Morris Park, New York City; June 16-17 – Hartford, Conn.; June 21 – Baltimore, Md.; June 24 – Philadelphia, Penn.; June 28-29 – Pittsburgh; July 3-4 – A.A. Meet, Morris Park; July 22 – Empire City track; Aug. 1-2 – Grand Rapids, Mich.; Aug. 11-12 – Cleveland; Aug. 18-19 – Buffalo; Aug. 26 – To be granted; Sept. 4 – Boston; Sept. 9 – Providence; Sept. 23 – Morris Park; Sept. 29 – Poughkeepsie; Sept. 30 – Empire City track.”

Well, at any rate, maybe there is now sufficent evidence to include this national championship among those that the AAA supported in 1916 and from 1920 (I assume we all agree that it was Gaston Chevrolet that year, correct?) to 1941 and from 1946 (again, I assume we all agree that there were only six championship events that season, right?) until 1955.

Don, buy the Buzz Rose Sprint Car books, "Kings of the Hills" and "The Eastern Bullrings" - it's all in there. Also, all contemporary reports I have found, including a facsimile of a 1946 mag on the web (I believe it was in Rumbledrome's Ted Horn story, so you should be able to find it) make it clear that all AAA sanctioned races counted for the championship. Actually, I think it's on you to prove your theory.

I was preparing a post for my old thread for when I am going online again, but it appears this will take a bit more time. I actually enjoy life w/o the net!

They may have all counted towards some championship -- Eastern, Midwest, whatever -- but it seems that only six may have counted towards the National Championship. Should I simply disregard the 1946 AAA annual as being wrong?

Also, Speed Age May 1947, states on page 22, "To date eleven national championship races, including the 500-mile Indianapolis Speedway classisc, have been scheduled. This is nearly twice the number run during 1946."

Also, on page 27 of the same issue of Speed Age the following can be found:

AAA Drivers Took Home Over $300,000

The 3600 miles of dirt track and championship events under the AAA sanction paid off at the rate of $84.50 a mile for a total of $304,432 last year, according to statistics released by Col. Arthur W. Herrington, chairman of the contest board.

There were 177 racing cars, 193 drivers and 254 mechanics registered by the board last year, while 469 temporary permits were issued. Six championship events and 71 dirt track races were held, with 21 others rained out.

The idea for the 1905 Motor Car Championship apparently originated with Dave Hennen Morris and was presented to the AAA Racing Board in April 1905, soon after the new chairman, Robert Lee Morrell, came on board. This has been garnered from page 12 of the 25 April 1905 issue of the New York Times.

Naturally, this and so other information I have found now means that I do a re-write of my 1905 article....

As I am away from my reference materials at the moment, I don't have access to that issue of the CART Media Guide. Does your account differ from what I managed to find by combing the contemporary sources?

1905 season. My statements on the 1905 AAA Championship contained in the 1985 CART NEW MEDIA GUIDE, page 267, are brief and cursory, i.e. hardly more than one paragraph. However I had three reasons for including them in the 1985 CART guide. First off, this is the first time a series of motor races crowned a championship driver using a "point" system. Secondly, all knowledge of this 1905 AAA point Championship had faded out. I had never heard of it until Mr. McMaken informed me of this fact. And somewhat later Mr. Allen Brown, by chance, mentioned it to me as well. I was so astonished that Allen knew of it that I included his name in my brief writeup. And thirdly, I couldn't resist taking another poke at Catlin, who had never heard of the AAA 1905 Driver Championship either. Thus Russ didn't include it in his made up (c. 1951/52) "bogus" listing of the 1902 to 1908 AAA Driving Champions.

Catlin: The real origin of the 1902-1908 AAA National Driving Champions. When the AAA fiftiest anniversity was about to occur, in 1952, Mr. Russ Catlin got a brainstorm. Wouldn't it be wonderful if there existed AAA National Championship Drivers for every year that the AAA itself existed? The "fake" 1909 to 1915 and 1917 to 1919 AAA Championship seasons had long been considered canonical by the year 1951, and nobody remembered or knew (certainly not even by Catlin himself) that they were actually created and manufactured by Arthur Means and Val Haresnape in 1926/1927/1928. But it was obviously known in 1951, that the AAA had staged no racing events during 1942-45, so that these four years could not be filled in. So the only remaining missing years were 1902-1908. Catlin had already in 1951 changed the traditional 1909 Champion, Bert Dingley, and substituted George Robertson instead; and altered the 1920 AAA driving titlist from Gaston Chevrolet to Tommy Milton. And so Mr. Catlin, in 1951/52, simply added his own 1902-1908 picks and added them into the AAA record. Catlin's "new" or "AAA Champions" results for 1902-1908 were first published the Indianapolis 500 race program for 1952 in a one page article entitled AUTO RACING'S GOLDEN JUBILEE. Catlin is sited here as the Director of the AAA Contest Board News Bureau. Catlin acknowleges that the (or actually his) 1902 AAA titlists, Harry Harkness, and the 1903 AAA Champ, Barney Oldfield, were both "unofficial" AAA Champions, whatever that means in this context and/or 1902 and 1903. Russ goes on to say (quote), "But during the next few years, with one exception, the Vanderbilt Cup determined the championship." In the very next paragraph Catlin asserts that a AAA National Championship Title, based on the assignment of points, began in 1909. Nowhere does Mr. Catlin affirm or even hint that the 1902-1908 AAA driver champions now given, were just created or added by himself!

Catlin: The real origin of the 1902-1908 AAA National Driving Champions. (cont-2) In 1958 Charlie Brockman then the USAC Publicity Director, remembering that Russ had listed AAA Championship seasons back to 1902 in the 1952 Indianapolis program, incorporated those findings into the 1958 USAC Yearbook. And even later, in 1973, Dick Jordan, another USAC official, put them in Carl Hungness' first Indianapolis 500 Yearbook which covered the 1973 Indianapolis race. But every precious bit of American racing lore must be saved (!) and so both Brockman and Jordan preserved this valuable and priceless lore. I must say that I believe that neither Mr. Brockman, nor Mr. Jordan, knew anything at all about Catlin making up the whole AAA 1902-08 listing or reckonings in late 1951/early 1952, to celebrate the AAA's (50 year) Golden Jubilee. It was Mr. Ken McMaken, c. 1978/79, who notified me that the 1952 Indianapolis program is the oldest known reckoning of these 1902-08 AAA National Champions. Amen.

Andrzej initiated this thread five years ago with a plea for information about a race held in Cuba in 1905. The entry and results were supplied by various contributors, but little more was available at that time. I have pieced together some more details which may fill some of the gaps.

1905 CITY OF HAVANA CUP RACE

The contest was run on Sunday February 12th 1905 over a distance of 160 kilometers - just two thirds of a mile short of 100 miles. It was billed as an international event, the first major motor race to be held in Cuba. The start was at the town of Arroyo Arenas, which is 13 miles southwest of the Cuban capital of Havana. From there the course ran to San Cristobal, where the cars were halted, before commencing their return run to Arroyo Arenas. The eastward run to San Cristobal was 79 ¼ kilometers, and the return 80 ¾ kilometers, which suggests that, at least in part, the two legs traversed different roads.

The local arrangements by the organizing club, the International Automobile Association of Cuba, were said to be excellent. The grandstands on both sides of the road near the start line seated a crowd of 2,500 persons, and thousands of others lined the road at many other points along the route. President Palma, members of the Cabinet, their families and various other Government officials occupied seats in the central boxes. The whole course was thoroughly patrolled by mounted infantry, police, and bicycle club members. Even Mother Nature obliged as the weather was fairly hot, with a gentle westerly breeze.

Six cars were expected to start, but a practice accident on the Friday before the race meant that E. R. Thomas’s ninety horsepower German car (most likely a Mercedes) had to be withdrawn. Thomas was among the spectators on race day having almost recovered from the injuries he sustained in the crash, but his ‘chauffeur’ E. D. Hawley was still in hospital, albeit on the mend.

Only two of them were out-and-out racing cars, Fletcher’s mighty 80hp de Dietrich and Tracy’s little Paris-Madrid Renault, which was the lightest car in the race. Major Miller had bought the Renault from W. Gould Brokaw and hired Tracy as one of the most professional racers in America. The de Dietrich was the car which Gabriel had driven in the recent Vanderbilt Cup race on Long Island.

Incidentally, the various sources quote different horsepower ratings, all of which are included in the table above.

The cars started down a slight incline past the grandstands, which were situated a short distance beyond the starting line. Unfortunately the start was just out of the spectators’ line of vision. The ‘autoists’, as the drivers were referred to in the American press, then crossed a bridge and sped up a long hill, being in sight of the grandstands for quite a while after the start.

The starting procedure took about 45 minutes and one could imagine that once the five cars had disappeared on their way to San Cristobal, the crowds in the grandstands would have become restless. After all, it was a warm day and the cars were not due to return for several hours. Apparently this was not the case, as announcements of the times and progress of each car were telephoned promptly from all the villages along the route. This information was then announced from the judges’ stand to the spectators in the grandstands. These announcements were made in both Spanish and English as there was a large contingent of Americans in attendance.

Apart from that, there was much betting especially on the cars driven by Fletcher and Tracy, although before the start the three other cars, all owned by residents of Havana, had had their backers. In the days leading up to the race the Mercedes (?) of E.R.Thomas had been the popular favourite, but how the bookies handled its enforced withdrawal was not explained.

One tends to think of protests in motor racing as a fairly recent development. Not so. The de Dietrich driven by H.W. Fletcher had been over-filled with oil and as a result its engine refused to fire on the start line. Taking advantage of the slight downward slope, the car was pushed more than the entire length of the grandstand before it finally fired up. Major Miller, the owner of Tracy’s car, filed an official protest, which proved to be redundant as the de Dietrich was never in contention during the race.

On the outward leg and not long after the start, Fletcher’s de Dietrich suffered a puncture necessitating a lengthy wheel change. Apart from that, the first half of the race must have been fairly uneventful as the five cars finished at the San Cristobal checkpoint in the same order as they had started. Tracy, the fastest of the five, covered the distance in 51 minutes 22.6 seconds. Robinson’s de Dietrich was the slowest in 1 hour 17 minutes 1.8 seconds. Ernesto Carricaburu’s time in the Mercedes must have been very little more than Tracy’s.

The cars left San Cristobal in the same order as before. On the way back Fletcher had to make a number of stops for water and various repairs, including one of 36 minutes to solder a split in the de Dietrich’s fuel tank.(Last info courtesy Doug Nye.) The car finally completed the race a long way behind the other competitors, so much so that it failed to finish within the time limit. Another casualty of the return leg was the Renault of Joe Tracy. Towards the end of the race he was passing over a railway crossing when his battery shook loose and ended up into a nearby stream. They pulled it out and re-attached it to the car. At the same time the mechanic’s seat had also come loose. Then, within sight of the finish line, a fuel line broke. It was tied in place with a rag and they managed to finish the race.

Despite these mishaps, Tracy was the first to cross the finish line, his time for the second leg being 1 hour 1 minute and 3.4 seconds. At first it was believed that he had won, but Carricaburu, who started half an hour after Tracy, was gaining fast, his time in each village being announced to the excited spectators in the grandstands. All eyes were focussed on the top of the hill across the valley. When he sped down the long hill and up the narrow lane between the grandstands he was greeted with a roaring ovation. The band played the Cuban national anthem, and the ovation was repeated when the result was officially announced.. Carricaburu had covered the whole course in a little over a minute and a half less than Tracy.

Carricaburu’s average of 53.7 mph was slightly faster than the winning speed in the previous year’s Gordon Bennett and 6 mph faster than that year’s Vanderbilt Cup race. Admittedly both of these races were considerably longer, but against that their entry was much larger and consisted of purpose-built racing cars. Carricaburu’s victory was all the more impressive in that it was his very first motor race!

On the following Tuesday sprint races were held on a stretch of road between Guanajay and Artemis, thirty miles from Havana.

The overall race meeting was considered a great sporting success, but was conducted at some financial loss. Nonetheless, the International Automobile Club of Cuba decided to prepare for a larger meeting in 1906.